Enemy Mine (1985)

During a long space war, the lives of two wounded enemies become dependent on their ability to forgive and to trust.

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers:

Barry Longyear (story), Edward Khmara (screenplay) (as Ed Khmara)

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr., Brion James

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Davidge
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Drac
Brion James	...	Stubbs
Richard Marcus	...	Arnold
Carolyn McCormick	...	Morse
Bumper Robinson	...	Zammis
Jim Mapp	...	Old Drac
Lance Kerwin	...	Wooster
Scott Kraft	...	Jonathan
Lou Michaels	...	Wilson (as Lou Micheals)
Andy Geer	...	Bates
Henry Stolow	...	Cates
Herb Andress	...	Hopper
Danmar	...	Wise Guy
Mandy Hausenberger	...	1st Medic

Storyline

A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually, he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting. They band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end, the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.

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Plot Keywords:

title same as book | first person narration | protagonist as narrator | unknown planet | the future | 

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Taglines:

Enemies because they were taught to be. Survivors because they had to be.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Enemigo mío

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,594,702, 22 December 1985

Gross USA:

$12,303,411

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,303,411

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Kings Road Entertainment, SLM Production Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After being in a state of management flux, 20th Century Fox's new studio head Barry Diller and new Production Executive, Lawrence Gordon, green-lit Commando (1985), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and the soon-to-be-hit sequels, The Jewel of the Nile (1985) and Aliens (1986). They continued with the production of this film, because they had Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. under costly contracts, for which the studio would've had to pay even after aborting the film.

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Goofs

Young Zammis learns English as its native tongue, but speaks with an alien accent. There should be no accent except for the generic American English one with which it grew up learning to speak.

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Quotes

Davidge: You know something, Jerry? Your great Shismar ain't shit!
Jerry: [angry] Earthman, your Mickey Mouse is one big stupid dope!
[Davidge tries not to laugh]

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version had been shortened by the distributors before release following negative reviews in the US and was then cut by 27 secs by the BBFC for a PG certificate with edits made to the severed ear sequence. The cuts were restored to the 1987 15-rated video release and the full US version was released on DVD in 2002.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

User Reviews

A film that almost never was

I hate being nostalgic about movies, but I do remember a time when imagination was evident in every part of a production, when film posters were dynamic, visceral and iconic, when films looked like they were shot on film and not an HD camera with a sunset tint, when scores were done by orchestras instead of synthesizers and death metal guitars and, most important of all, when the lack of CGI technology forced the filmmakers into achieving visual effects through more practical means. The 1980s were filled with such movies and, looking back, I am glad that I grew up in that decade. Children now are exposed to altogether soulless movies.

Set in the late 21st Century, Enemy Mine has humans reaching out into the depths of space after achieving world peace. But a rival species, the alien race of the Drax, don't take to kindly to humans poking about the galaxy and an interstellar war kicks off. A human pilot (Dennis Quaid) and a lone Drac (Louis Gossett Jnr.) crash land on a remote desert planet and learn, the hard way, to stick together if they want to survive. Despite their ultimate conflict they discover that they are not all that different from each other and neither yet both are to blame for the war.

Enemy Mine suffered from severe problems during production. Apparently the original director, Richard Longcraine (Wimbledon, Richard III), shot the entire film on location in Iceland before being replaced by Wolfgang Petersen who re-shot the whole film all over again but changed the story somewhat in the process. So, in reality, there are two completely different versions of Enemy Mine. One which was released into cinemas that has become a classic in its own right and another that only exists in the vaults of Twentieth Century Fox. I would love to see this alternate cut.

The fantastic photography and production design look very, very good for a film from 1985. Some of the effect shots and matte paintings are simply gorgeous and the cutting between desert locations and desert sets is almost seamless. This isn't like an episode of the original Star Trek series in which the cast simply take a half hour drive to a bit of desert outside of LA, the desert locations with the matte painting backgrounds look utterly authentic.

If you like the look and feel of films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth then you'll appreciate the fantasy of Enemy Mine. I know I am going to sound like an old coot but they just don't make films like this anymore. Everything these days seems to be geared towards the average ASBO teenage boy. In ten years time I honestly think that films will be no more than a test card that offends and stimulates no one.

I will consider myself lucky that films like this were once made and that they were a part of my formative years.